Ezekieli 33
1 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
2 “Mwanadamu, sema hivi kwa watu wako; waambie, 'Nitakapoleta upanga juu ya nchi, kisha watu wa hiyo nchi wakamchukua mtu mmoja kutoka mingoni mwao na kumfanya awe mlinzi wao.
“You human, speak to your fellow Israelis and say this to them: ‘When I bring an enemy army [MTY] to attack a country, and the people of that country choose one of their men and appoint him to be a watchman,
3 Atazamapo kwa upanga kama unakuja juu ya nchi, na apige tarumbeta kuwaonya watu!
if he sees the enemy army [MTY] coming to attack his country, and he blows a trumpet to warn the people,
4 Kama watu wakisikia sauti ya tarumbeta lakini bila kusikia, na kama upanga ukija na kuwaua, kisha damu ya kila mmoja iko juu ya kichwa chake mwenyewe.
if anyone hears the trumpet and does not heed the warning, and as a result he is killed by the sword [of one of his enemies], he will be responsible for his own death [MTY].
5 Kama mtu akisikia sauti ya tarumbeta na hakusikiliza, damu yake iko juu yake; lakini kama akisikia, ataokoa maisha yake mwenyewe.
If he had heeded the warning, he would have (have saved his life/still be alive). But because he heard the sound of the trumpet and did not heed that warning, his death will be his own fault.
6 Bali, kama mlinzi akiona upanga unakuja, lakini kama asipopiga tarumbeta, pamoja na matokeo kwamba watu hawajaonywa, na kama upanga ukija na kuchukua uhai wa mtu yeyote, kisha yule mtu akafa kwenye dhambi yake mwenyewe, lakini nitaitaka damu yake kutoka mlinzi.'
But if the watchman sees the enemy army [MTY] coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people, and one of his people is killed by an enemy sword, that person will die because of his sin, but I will consider that the watchman is responsible for that man’s death.’
7 Sasa wewe mwenyewe, mwanadamu! Nimekufanya kuwa mlinzi kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Israeli; utasikia maneno kutoka kinywani mwangu na uwaonye badala yangu.
So, you human, I have appointed you to be a watchman for the Israeli people [MTY]. So always listen to what I say and warn the people for me.
8 Kama nikimwambia mtu mwovu, 'Mwovu, hakika utakufa!' lakini kama hutangazi hivi ili kwa ajili ya kumuonya mtu mwovu kuhusu hii njia, kisha huyo mtu mwovu atakufa katika dhambi yake, lakini nitaitaka damu yake kutoka kwenye mkono wako!
When I say to some wicked person, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die [because of your sins,’ you must tell him that]. If you do not speak to that person to warn him that he should turn away from his sins, that wicked person will die because of his sins, but I will say that you are responsible for his death [MTY].
9 Lakini wewe, kama ukimwonya mwovu kuhusu hii njia, hivyo basi anaweza kurudi kutoka hiyo, na kama kama asipogeuka kutoka njia yake, kisha atakufa katika dhambi yake, lakini wewe mwenyewe utakuwa umeokoa maisha yako.
But if you warn that wicked person that he should turn away from his sins, and he does not do that, he will die because of his sins, but you will have saved your life.
10 Basi wewe, mwanadamu, sema kwa nyumba ya Israeli, 'Mnasema hivi, Makosa yetu na dhambi zetu zi juu yetu, na tunadhoofika kwa ajili yao! Je! tutaishije?”'
You human, say to the Israeli people, ‘This is what you all are saying: “[The guilt that we have for] disobeying God’s laws and sinning is like a heavy weight on us, and it is hurting us, and we are slowly dying. So what can we do to continue to remain alive?”’
11 Waambie, 'Kama niishivyo-asema Bwana Yahwe-sifurahii kifo cha mwovu, kwa kuwa kama mwovu akitubu kutoka njia yake, kisha ataishi! Tubu! Tubu kutoka njia zako mbaya! Kwa nini mnataka kufa, nyumba ya Israeli?'
Say to them, ‘Yahweh the Lord says, “As surely as I am alive, I am not happy when wicked people die; I would prefer that they turn away from their wicked behavior and continue to live. So repent! Turn away from your evil behavior! You Israeli people, do you really want to die [RHQ]?”’
12 Hivyo basi wewe, mwanadamu, waambe watu wako, 'Haki ya mwenye haki haitamwokoa kama akikosa! Uovu wa mtu mwovu hautamfanya kuangamia kama akitubu dhambi zake! Kwa kuwa mtu mwenye haki hataweza kuishi kwa sababu ya haki yake kama akikosa.
Therefore, you human, say to your fellow Israelis, ‘If righteous people start to disobey me, their being righteous previously will not save them [from being punished]. And if wicked people turn away from their wicked behavior, they will not die because of the sins that they committed [previously]. And if righteous people start to sin, they will not be allowed to remain alive because of their formerly being righteous.’
13 Kama nikisema kwa mwenye haki, “Hakika ataisha!” na kama akiamini katika haki yake na kisha akafanya udhalimu, sitokumbuka haki yake yoyote. Atakufa kwa ajili ya uovu alioufanya.
If I tell righteous people that they will surely remain alive, but then they trust/think that because they have been righteous previously, they can start to do evil [and not be punished], I will not think about the righteous things that they did previously; they will die because of the evil things that they are doing.
14 Hivyo kama nikisema kwa mwovu, “Utakufa hakika,” lakini kama akitubu kutoka kwenye dhambi zake na kufanya yaliyo halali na haki-
And if I say to some wicked person, ‘You will surely die [because of your sins],’ that person may turn away from his sinful behavior and do what is just and right [DOU].
15 kama akirudisha dhamana ambayo aliyomnyang'anya, au kama akirudisha alichokipoteza, na kama akitembea katika amri zitoazo uhai na bila kufanya dhambi-kisha ataishi hakika. Hatakufa.
For example, he may return what he took from another person to guarantee [that that person would pay back what he owes], or he may return things that he has stolen, and he may obey the laws that will enable [those who obey them] to remain alive, and he will not continue to do evil things. If that happens, he will surely remain alive; he will not die [because of the sins that he committed previously].
16 Dhambi alizozifanya hazitakumbukwa kwa ajili yake. Ametenda halali na haki, na hivyo, ataishi hakika!
I will not think about the sins that he has committed; he will surely remain alive.
17 Lakini watu wako husema, “Njia ya Bwana haiko sawa!” lakini ni njia zako ndizo haziko sawa!
Your fellow Israelis say, ‘What Yahweh does is not fair.’ But it is your behavior that is not fair.
18 Wakati mtu mwenye haki ageukapo kutoka kwenye haki na kufanya dhambi, kisha atakufa katika hiyo!
If a righteous person turns away from doing what is righteous and starts to do what is evil, [it is fair that] he die because of his sins.
19 Wakati mtu mbaya ageukapo kutoka kwenye ubaya wake na kufanya iliyo halali na haki, ataishi kwa sababu ya hayo mambo!
And if a wicked person turns away from his wicked behavior and does what is right and fair [DOU], [it is fair] for him to remain alive because of doing that.
20 Lakini ninyi watu husema, “Njia ya Bwana haiko sawa!” Nitawahukumu kila mmoja wenu kulingana na njia yake, nyumba ya Israeli!”'
But you Israeli people still say, ‘What Yahweh does is not fair.’ But I will judge each of you for what you do.”
21 Ikawa katika mwaka wa kumi na mbili, siku ya tano ya mwezi wa kumi ya uhamisho wetu, mtu mmoja akatoroka kutoka Yerusalemuna kusema, “Mji umetekwa!”
Almost twelve years [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the fifth day of the tenth month [of that year], a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me [in Babylon] and said, “Jerusalem has been captured!”
22 Mkono wa Yahwe ulikuwa juu yangu jioni kabla yule mtoro hajaja, na mdomo wangu ulikuwa wazi mda huo alikuja kwangu wakati wa mapambazuko. Hivyo mdomo wangu ulikuwa wazi; sikuwa bubu tena!
The evening before that man arrived, Yahweh took control [MTY] of me, and when that man arrived, Yahweh enabled me to speak again; I was no longer forced to be silent.
23 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
Then Yahweh gave a message to me. He said,
24 “Mwanadamu, wale waishio mahali palipoharibika katika nchi ya Israeli huongea na kusema, 'Ibrahimu alikuwa mtu pekee, na alirithi nchi, lakini sisi tukowengi! Tumepewa nchi kama wamiliki.”
“You human, the people who are living in the ruins in Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one person, but Yahweh [promised him that he and his descendants] would possess this land. But we are many; so surely this land has been given to us [by Yahweh] to continue to possess.’
25 Kwa hiyo waambie, 'Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Mnakula damu, na mmeziinulia macho yenu sanamu, kisha mnazimwagia damu za watu. Je! mna uhakika wa kuimiliki hii nchi?
So send a message to them. Say, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: You eat meat that still has the animal’s blood in it. You still worship idols. And you still murder others [MTY]. So, (should this land belong to you?/this land should certainly not belong to you!) [RHQ]
26 Mnategemea upanga wenu na mmetenda mambo maovu; kila mtu amemnajisi mke wa jirani yake. Je! kweli mtaimiliki nchi?'
You rely on using your swords [to obtain things that you want]. You do many detestable things. Each of you has sex with other men’s wives. So (why should you continue to possess the land of Israel?/you should not continue to possess this land!) [RHQ]’
27 Utawaambia hivi, 'Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Kama niishivyo, hakika wale walio katika uharibifu wataanguka kwa upanga, na nitawapatia wale walio katika mashamba viumbe hai kama chakula, na wale walio katika ngome na mapango watakufa kwa tauni.
Send this message to them: ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: As surely as I am alive, those who are left in the ruins [in Jerusalem] will also be killed by [their enemies’] swords, and those who are living in the countryside will be killed by wild animals, and those who are living in forts and caves will die from a plague.
28 Kisha nitairudisha nchi kwenye ukiwa na tishio, na kiburi cha uwezo wake kitakoma, kwa kuwa milima ya Israeli itakuwa jangwa, na hakutakuwa na mtu yeyote atakayewapitia.'
I will cause your country to become a desolate wasteland. You will no longer be proud of being a strong country. The mountains of Israel will become very desolate, with the result that no one will walk across them.
29 Hivyo watajua kwamba mimi ni Yahwe, nitakapoifanya nchi ukiwa na tishio kwa sababu ya machukizo yote waliyoyafanya.
Then, when I have caused your country to become a desolate wasteland because of all the detestable things that you have done, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].’
30 Hivyo basi wewe, mwanadamu-watu wako wanasema mambo yako karibu na kuta na malango ya nyumba, na kila mmoja anaambizana na mwenzake-kila mtu na ndugu yake, 'Twende na tukasikilize neno la nabii lililotoka kwa Yahwe!
As for you, you human, your fellow Israelis [here in Babylon] are talking about you along the city walls and at the doors of their houses. They are saying to each other, ‘Come and listen to the message that has come from Yahweh!’
31 Hivyo watu wangu watakuja kwako, kama wafanyavyo mara nyingi, na nitaketi mbele yako na kusikiliza maneno yako, lakini mioyo yao inafuata udhalimu kwa faida yao.
My people come to you as they often have done, and they sit in front of you to listen to what you say. But they do not do what you tell them that they must do. With their mouths they say that they love me, but in their inner beings they are eager to acquire things by doing what is unjust.
32 Kwa kuwa umekuwa kama wimbo mzuri kwao, sauti nzuri awezaye kucheza kinanda vizuri, hivyo watasikia maneno yako, lakini hakuna atakaye yatii.
To them, you are only a man who sings love songs with a beautiful voice, and you play a musical instrument well. They hear what you say, but they do not do what you tell them to do.
33 Hivyo wakati haya yote yatakapotokea-tazama! itatokea! -watajua yakwamba nabii alikuwa miongoni mwao.”
The terrible things that I have said will happen to them will surely happen. And then they will know that a prophet has been among them, [and that you are that prophet].”
